Public Support Booms as Educators Stand Together

As the battle to save public education continues, Americans are increasingly looking to educators as the “only hope for saving kids.” After decades of being blamed for problems in schools, teachers are now enjoying a national renaissance of support for fighting hard and advocating for students despite low pay and challenging working conditions.

This trend is spotlighted in a recent story in Education Week that examines the nationwide wave of teacher activism, public attitudes toward educators and the challenges they face, and how quickly teachers went from being blamed for education’s woes to praised for standing up for students.

Veteran high school teacher and Palo Alto Educators Association member David Cohen cautioned at getting caught up in the swelling public support, noting that most educators just want the resources and tools they need to help their students achieve.

“A lot of us don’t have a particular desire to be held up as martyrs or superheroes,” Cohen told Education Week. “We’d rather just be paid well and treated well.”